Namesake
by Fredikayllow
Summary: James hates being named after a dead person. Post DH, based on the Epilogue. Features all the Potter children and Teddy.


Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything associated, anything recognisable belong to JK Rowling and Bloomsbury blah blah blah... I think you get the point. Please just don't sue me.

Authors Note:

Okay, this is my first attempt at Harry Potter fanfic, and it didn't turn out nearly as well as I had hoped. This is based on a conversation that my sister and I had on the names of the children in the Epilogue. I take on the stance that Teddy has, and my sister has James' opinion (bear in mind that our conversation did not end the way this one does).

I tried as hard as I could to make sure the children stayed in character, but given that we saw so little of them, I can't guarantee anything. Be that as it may, I immensley enjoyed writing these characters, and if i get a good response from this story I may be motivated to write more of them.

By the way, I read the Epilogue several times, but couldn't find a description of what he looks like, nor does it tell me what grade he is in. I have drawn my own assumptions frot the purpose of this story, but if anyone can give me a hand in that department that would be greatly appreciated.

Reviews are greatly appreciated- constructive criticism would be absolutley fantastic as I know my writing could always do with some work.

Okay, enough of me babbling on- enjoy!!!

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Namesake

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It was the last day of Summer, and the Potter children were miserable.

Well, not entirely miserable. James, the eldest, was greatly looking forward to going back to school, but at the same time apprehensive. He had heard that at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry could be a killer, and he wasn't looking forward to yet another year of "You've got the brains of your mother, and the capacity for mischief of your uncles" from all the teachers.

Albus, the second child, was equally excited yet apprehensive, but for many different reasons. He was about to embark on a great adventure- finally attending Hogwarts. But overpowering the excitement was fear- what if he wasn't good enough? What if he let everyone down? And what if… what if he was in Slytherin? The thought sat in the back of Albus' mind, not conscious to himself, but just sort of… there…

The third child- a tiny slip of a child with flaming red hair- was just utterly miserable. Tomorrow her brothers would be off, having grand adventures at some huge castle and learning how to do real magic, whereas she would be stuck at home, alone with her parents and still having to attend Muggle school (something which her father had insisted on). Life just wasn't fair.

So there were the children, in their tidy yet slightly overgrown backyard, fulfilling the tradition they had followed since James' first year at Hogwarts. On their last day of freedom, the children packed a picnic basket and sat out in their backyard to play and talk. Their conversations never really followed any particular subject, just whatever first came to their heads.

It was midday- Albus and Lily had been playing broomstick-chasey for the last hour, and collapsed onto the picnic rug just as James starting to unpack the food their mother had cooked for them. Their was silence for a few minutes while the younger children caught their breath, when James suddenly spoke up.

"I hate my name!" he said defiantly, reaching for a piece of chicken with a frown on his face.

Albus was surprised at the sudden outburst, but didn't say anything, waiting for an explanation.

"I mean," the boy continued "Why do all have to be named after dead people anyway? It's creepy."

"I like my name" Lily said absentmindedly, picking the petals off a gerbera and barely noticing when they grew back instantaneously.

"Of course you do" James said patronisingly, rolling his eyes.

Lily, who was rather intelligent for a girl of merely nine, was greatly insulted.

"I'm allowed to like my name! I think it's very pretty!" she said indignantly, putting her hands on her hips.

"Yeah sure, it's a pretty name. But don't you find it creepy that we're named after our grandparents. Our _dead_ grandparents?"

Lily thought for a moment before coming to a decision.

"No" she said simply, and reached for a strawberry, abandoning both the flower and the conversation.

James sighed, knowing better than to argue with his stubborn sister. Instead he turned to his little brother, who was slightly more open to being convinced.

"What do you reckon, Al?" he asked the eleven year-old. "How do you feel about being named after the greatest wizard alive?"

Albus pondered. He'd never really thought about his name that much- it was just something he took for granted. He was aware that he had been named after Albus Dumbledore, and yet he'd never considered it that way.

"I dunno James. I guess I'm kinda honoured."

James rolled his eyes. Trust Al to think that their parents lack of imagination was _honourable_.

"Yeah well, just wait till you get to Hogwarts. You'll get sick of teachers tearing up at your name because they're reminded of former students or headmasters. Even Teddy gets annoyed at it."

From the back fence the children heard a noise

"Did I just hear my name?" called the voice of Ted Remus Lupin.

Teddy was suddenly deafened by shrieks of "Teddy! Teddy", as well as being weighed down by a certain young girl hanging around his neck, and struggled to walk forward to where the boys were sitting.

"Wotcher Jimmy; Al" he said in a friendly tone, nodding at each of the boys as he sat on the picnic rug.

"And who is this little monkey climbing all over me?" he said, trying to catch hold of Lily, who had started searching through each of his pockets for a treat.

"Who do you think it is Teddy?" she called breathlessly, playing along with the game they had played from the time she could talk.

"Well now, it must be… Minerva McGonagall?"

"Nope- too young!" the young girl cried happily, still searching through his pockets

"Hmmm… how about… Helga Hufflepuff?"

"Nope- too smart!"

"Well, she couldn't… Ginevra Potter?"

"Getting closer!!"

"Well, that only leaves… it couldn't be… Not Lily Potter!!"

Lily, who had found the box of sugar quills in the innermost pocket of his cloak, collapsed backwards onto the rug with giggles and cries of "That's me! That's me!"

Teddy laughed heartily. He has always loved playing this game with the little girl, and dreaded the day when she would be too old.

Now that the game was over, Teddy left Lily to her treats and turned to the boys.

"So guys, what's up? Did I hear my name being mentioned earlier for a particular reason?"

"Oh I was just telling Al how much we hated being named after dead people."

At this, Teddy's face dropped, and James instantly regretted bringing up the topic at all. He knew how much Teddy wished he could have known his parents, and after all, he was named after his dead father and grandfather.

Albus noticed how upset Teddy seemed to be getting, and tried desperately to change the subject.

"Hey Teddy, will you tell us about that Quiddi-" he started, before he was cut off by Ted.

"No, it's alright Al." He said, with a hint of sadness in his voice. "Do you really hate it Jimmy? That much?" his voice was kind, yet had a mildly accusing tone in it.

"Well… I guess…" James tried to say, before finally getting up the nerve to say what he wanted.

"I just hate people not seeing _me_. Whenever I go somewhere, I tell them my name and they always say '_Oh James Potter! I should have known! Oh, how is your father? Oh, you're so much like your grandfather- so intelligent and powerful… you must be so proud to be named after him…_' I feel like I have to be like him, like that original James, and I'm not! I'm not as brave, or as clever… I can't be him!"

James could feel the hot tears in his eyes, and felt ashamed. A fine role model he must be for Al- blubbering over his _name_. He avoided the gaze of the others, trying to look preoccupied with the grass he was pulling out of the ground. There was silence, and James just wanted someone to talk; hopefully pretend that his little outburst had never occurred. Instead he was surprised to feel Lily's small hand in his, and looked up to see her solemn blue eyes (the same colour as their Uncle Ron's) looking straight into his, filled with sympathy.

"I think you're you." She said simply, and hugged him with all her might.

James looked around, and saw Teddy with a small tear in his eye, and Albus looking contemplative.

"I get what you're saying mate, I really do." Teddy said solemnly.

"You do?" James asked

"Of course! I get it every time Gran looks at me- I know she sees mum, or thinks of dad. Even Harry, your dad, sees them in me. Sometimes I just wanna be _me_. Teddy Lupin."

"How do you stand it mate? How doesn't it drive you insane?" James asked, unable to comprehend how someone could put up with it for their entire life.

Teddy looked thoughtful, as though trying to think of how he did it. He finally came to a decision.

"Look mate, I was there when all three of you were named by your folks. I was only six when you came along Jimmy, but I remember when they decided. It was your mum's idea…"

_Ginny Potter sat in the bed at St Mungo's, smiling in such a way that said that every single molecule of her being was happy. Beside her stood a grinning Harry, who seemed exquisitely happy, as well as awestruck by the child in the arms of his wife. At the end of the bed sat Teddy- only six years old-, who was accompanied by an ageing Andromeda. Also in the room was the ever growing Weasley family- the whole kit and caboodle. The couple were having conversation that was both private and yet open to the other occupants in the room. Ginny looked up at her husband, and softly said_

"_I wanna call him James. What do you think Harry?"_

_Harry was dumbstruck. It was as though his greatest dream had come true._

"_Are you sure Ginny? It's entirely your decision."_

_Ginny smiled, and said "Your dad deserves the greatest honour I can give him, for what he did for you. It's time I returned the favour." The young woman smiled._

"_Besides, I want our son to have a good role model, and who better than a marauder"_

_The young couple smiled even wider and in the room several women wiped their eyes with handkerchiefs._

… "And your name was James. I knew, even then, that naming your child after someone was the greatest honour you could award someone. By naming you after your grandfather, they're honouring his memory, not trying to turn you into someone else.

James smiled at the story. All of a sudden it made sense. He decided, that day, to be proud of his name. He was, after all, named after one of the greatest wizards of all time.

For the rest of the day the four of them played happily- Albus and James played one on one Quidditch (James gloated for an hour after beating Albus 120-10) while Teddy entertained Lily with a new bubble making set (the bubbles lasted for five minutes or longer, and shined different colours). It seemed so quickly that the sun went down, and Teddy went home. The Potter children were called inside to wash up for dinner, but didn't grumble. They sat down to dinner that evening, and when their father asked them how their day was they each had different responses.

"Fun!" cried Lily

"Relaxing" said Albus, smiling

"Enlightening" said James quietly, and didn't respond to the strange looks he received from his parents.

That night, as he drifted off to sleep, he made a silent resolve. Whenever someone mentioned how much he reminded them of someone else, he would no longer scowl and grumble. He decided that he would smile, and thank them wholeheartedly.

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Thankyou for reading. Please Review!!

XOXOX-FREDIKAYLLOW-XOXOX


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